Venue Spotlight Featuring BATL London

The City of London, Ontario

While the name of the city and the major river located within it (the Thames River) may sound like a carbon copy of another world-class city across the pond, the City of London Ontario is a thriving and unique city that has much to offer. London got its start as a city back in 1855, and since then has grown to become one of Canada’s largest urban areas with its own storied history. Since the end of World War II, London has experienced a growth unprecedented in its history. With the major annexation of 1961, which added 60,000 people to the city, London had grown close to a quarter of a million people in 1976, the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its founding. Major physical changes in London’s appearance have occurred. In the old city core, many of the landmarks of the past have gone to be replaced by modern developments – the McClary factory was demolished for Wellington Square, the Hotel London was replaced by the City Centre, the Covent Garden Market was enclosed by the Market Garden Parking Building, and a new Court House was finally constructed on a demolished two-block site.

New suburbs have appeared on the outskirts – Lockwood Park, Sherwood Forest, and Oakridge Acres. The old residential areas became threatened by the overuse of the automobile on streets meant only to accommodate horse and buggy. Recent planning decisions have however been carefully made to ensure that the character and integrity of the old city are maintained. Something which can only result in enhancing the urban environment and in making London a pleasant place for its present and future citizens.

The history of Axe Throwing at BATL

Back in 2006, a group of friends were bored at a cottage outside of Toronto and decided to throw an axe at a stump. Little did they know that this innocent way to pass the time would soon evolve into the creation of a worldwide sport.

Upon returning home to Toronto, BATL founder and CEO Matt Wilson decided to set up a target in his backyard and invite some friends over to show them just how cathartic throwing a sharp axe into wood could be. A point system was created, and soon enough a group of 8 friends would meet every week and engage in some friendly competition. 8 friends quickly grew to 16, and 16 quickly grew to 32. Before he knew it, Matt was hosting 2 full leagues of a total of 60+ per night in his backyard, not including all the spectators that would stop by to catch a glimpse of our exciting new sport.

Fast forward to 2015 when the Backyard Axe Throwing League joined forces with newly opened axe throwing venue Tomahawks to become BATL London – bringing our style of urban axe throwing to the masses of London, Ontario – and we haven’t looked back since! Over the past 3 years, BATL London has hosted people from all over South Western Ontario and taught them the ways of our sport, and it’s been a complete success. On top of that, BATL London is constantly engaging with our community, partnering up with local charities, local sports teams, and more.

If you have yet to experience the unique thrill of our sport, what are you waiting for? BATL London offers many ways to get involved with our unique brand of urban axe throwing. Outside of the London area? Not to worry, BATL boats 13 venues across North America, including Toronto, Kitchener, Pickering, Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Calgary in Canada and Novi, Chicago, and Nashville in the United States – with more on the way this year.

Private Group Bookings at The Backyard Axe Throwing League

Our private group bookings are perfectly suited for any adult get-togethers – birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties, corporate team building, and much much more. Our private events last 2-2.5 hours and are run in the safe and comfortable environment that BATL has become famous for by our expertly trained staff, who also happen to be the best axe throwers in the planet. They will run you and your guests through training to ensure that you’re all sticking bullseyes before launching you into a round robin tournament, followed by a playoff (in order to crown a champion, of course). A little friendly competition can go a long way, so gather your friends and come experience it for yourself!

Walk-in Axe Throwing

If you’re looking for a more casual way to get involved, all 13 BATL venues across North America offer walk-in axe throwing each and every weekend. The Backyard Axe Throwing League offers axe throwing on a walk-in basis at designated times each week. Our coaches will be on hand to instruct those who have never thrown an axe before, and offer tips on technique for more experienced throwers looking to sharpen their skills. Similar to public skating, skiing or swimming – guests throw in a common area with other participants, and may need to make allowance for shared space based on friendly guidance from your BATL coach.

Weekly League Play

Our axe throwing leagues run for 8 weeks, completely under the guidance of our staff – all resident axe pros. Each season consists of round-robin style tournament play, where you’ll throw 28 games against other people in the league, culminating in a top 16 double elimination playoff on week 8. Our leagues are suitable for people of all skill levels, with staff on hand at all times ready to give you tips and tricks to make sure that you’re hitting the bullseye. Joining an axe throwing league is a great excuse to get out of the house and engage in some weekly friendly competition. But more than that, it’s a chance to meet new friends and be part of an extremely tight-knit community. At BATL, our mission is to show people the power of being good to each other, using the axe as a tool to build community inspired by our backyard roots.

No matter how you choose to get involved, stop by BATL London and see for yourself what all the fuss is about!